Diminished Major 7 Chords - Guitar Diagrams And Formulas

The diminished major 7 chord is one of the most intriguing shapes in modern harmony.

Built from a diminished triad topped with a major seventh, it blends tension and brightness in a way that feels both unsettling and sophisticated.

While it’s less common than major, minor, or dominant chords, this sound has a special role in jazz, film scoring, and advanced guitar vocabulary.

Construction

Most guitarists meet diminished chords in passing to connect chords. But the diminished major 7 chord (°maj7) is rarer, more enigmatic.

It blends:

The dark bite of a diminished triad.
The brightness of a major seventh.

This chord sits on the edge of tonal and atonal, making it perfect for film scores, fusion, or adding mystery to otherwise diatonic progressions.

Formula: 1 (root) – ♭3 (minor third) – ♭5 (diminished fifth / tritone) – 7 (major seventh)

For C°maj7:

C (root)
E♭ (minor 3rd)
G♭ (diminished 5th)
B (major 7th)

Notice the clash: B (maj7) and C (root) are only a semitone apart, which is why this chord sounds tense yet strangely “sophisticated.”

C Diminished Major Seventh	C	E♭	G♭	B
Formula	1	♭3	♭5	7

Common Notations for Diminished Major 7

You’ll see a few variations in charts and theory books:

C°maj7 → the most literal and clear

Cdim(maj7) → also very common in jazz harmony.

CdimMaj7 or CdimΔ7 → shorthand variants (Δ = major 7).

Less often: C°Δ or C°7+

Drop 2 Voicing Shapes

Drop 2 voicings take the four notes of a chord and “drop” the second-highest note down an octave.

The result is a set of clear, balanced voicings that lie naturally on the fretboard.

Applied to the diminished major 7 chord, these shapes unlock new textures for comping.

Drop 2 root position	R	♭5	7	♭3
1st inversion (third in the bass)	♭3	7	R	♭5
2nd inversion (fifth in the bass)	♭5	R	♭3	7
3rd inversion (seventh in the bass)	7	♭3	♭5	R

Drop 3 Voicing Shapes

A drop 3 voicing takes a four-note chord and “drops” the third-highest note down an octave.

This spacing creates wider, resonant shapes that sit beautifully across the strings.

With the diminished major 7 chord, drop 3 shapes are perfect for jazz comping, chord melodies, or adding an unexpected twist to progressions.

Drop 3 root position	R	7	♭3	♭5
1st inversion (third in the bass)	♭3	R	♭5	7
2nd inversion (fifth in the bass)	♭5	♭3	7	R
3rd inversion (seventh in the bass)	7	♭5	R	♭3

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Last edited: 2025-08-31

Comments

1 ModalMike On 2025-10-12

What’s the difference between a diminished-major 7 chord and a fully diminished 7 chord?
Thx

jazz-guitar-licks On 2025-10-12

Great question, they’re closely related, but there’s one crucial note that completely changes the sound and function.

-Fully diminished 7 chord formula:
1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭♭7 (which is the same as 6)
Example: C°7 = C – E♭ – G♭ – A

-Diminished-major 7 chord formula:
1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – 7
Example:C°maj7 = C – E♭ – G♭ – B

Check the page related to dim7 chords for more.

Stef